Milk oligosaccharides-mediated symbiosis and co-evolution between bifidobacteria and humans

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: Ishikawa Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: KATAYAMA Takane 石川県立大学, 生物資源環境学部, 寄附講座教授 (70346104)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIDAKA Masafumi 東北大学, (連合)農学研究科, 助教 (00584848)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIROSE Junko 滋賀県立大学, 人間環境学部, 准教授 (40381917)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ビフィズス菌 / 母乳オリゴ糖 / 共生 / 共進化 / 糖質分解酵素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Breast-fed infant intestines generally have microbiota rich in bifidobacteria, and the population of the bacteria in the ecosystem drastically decreases after weaning. This suggests that human milk has a bifidogenic compound; however, the mechanism underlying it remains elusive. We have reecntly found that infant gut-associated bifidobacteria are equipped with genetic and enzymatic sets dedicated to the utilization of oligosaccharides contained in human milk (human milk oligosaccharides, HMOs). In this study, we aimed to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the HMOs assimilation pathway of bifidobacteria.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学